Carbon isotope minima were a ubiquitous feature in the mid-depth (1.5–2.5 km) Atlantic during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1, 14.5–17.5 kyr BP) and the Younger Dryas (YD, 11.6–12.9 kyr BP), with the most likely driver being collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Negative carbon isotope anomalies also occurred throughout the surface ocean and atmosphere, but their timing relative to AMOC collapse and the underlying drivers have remained unclear. Here we evaluate the lead-lag relationship between AMOC variability and surface ocean
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Despite decades of research, the cause of deglaciations is not fully understood, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of Earth's climate system. During the most recent deglaciation (Termination I (T I)), abrupt declines in the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) of benthic foraminifera occurred throughout the mid‐depth (1,500–2,500 m) Atlantic. The spatial pattern in δ13C anomalies was likely due to Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) weakening and the accumulation of respired carbon, which also yields negative excursions in carbonate ion concentration (). To investigate whether a similar pattern occurred during prior deglaciations, we developed δ13C and records from 1,800 and 2,300 m water depth in the Southwest Atlantic spanning the last 150 ka. The new records reveal negative δ13C and anomalies during Termination II (TII) and the smaller deglaciations of Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4/3, 5b/a, and 5d/c, suggesting AMOC weakening is a common feature of deglaciation. The anomalies are more pronounced in the shallower core following MIS 2, 4, and 6 and in the deeper core following MIS 5b and 5d. The depth‐dependent pattern is most likely due to shoaling of Northern Source Water during glacial maxima and deepening during interglacial intervals. Comparison of records from TI and TII suggests similar levels of carbon accumulation in the mid‐depth Atlantic. The Brazil Margin δ13C and results indicate the AMOC plays a key role in the series of events causing deglaciation, regardless of differences in orbital configuration, ice volume, and mean global temperature.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10486153
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology
- Volume:
- 39
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2572-4517
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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